Rating: 
Summary: Its a disappointment, thats what it is.
Review: Some readers think that this is the greatest book since sliced bread. I disagree. I have always liked dinosaurs, since small I liked reading about these big animals and all. I read Lost world, and I love it. When I saw this book from Greg Bear, I was excited. Especially knowing the writer was an award winning author. Well, now I read it, and I sure wouldnt read another book written by him. I'll tell you why. The book, first of all, is more dedicated to young children, apart from the death of one of the characters in the end. Not even a single romance. But I am not complaining. As some of the readers have said, its really nothing much untill more than half of the book. At least it could have shown more of the characters in those wasted space. But no, the first half of the book is a travel log. And a usual one at that, with dinosaur for a baggage. Nothing exciting, I think any experience in the airport nowadays would be about the same. Then comes the character. There are some funny comments alright, but it is mostly showing a bunch of guys feeling brave, making silly jokes in front of death staring at them. Like any other science fiction, bear tried to put the effect of indian beliefs inside the story, and have Peter the main character dream about some legends. There is problem to this, which is that there is no precedence of this in the Lost story. Second, I took the book for the dinosaurs.... third, seeing that he did put dreams after all, he could have told us the meaning. Instead of just making the character dream of changing body shape from maggot to jaguar to ants and all, and not letting us know what it meant. One of the indians was in a sidequest, and the way he talks didnt even get cleared. We never knew what or who odosha really was, was it a god, or a tree, or an animal? what the death door was , whether its a challenge, or anything? Then, in the story, the characters would see animals, and we'd be given some latin names. none of the character was a scientist of some sort, yet they seem to be naming the animals anyhow. not really realistic. Then the way Greg Bear writes his story. its all from one character's point of view, which is Peter. it would have been much nicer if when he got separated from his friends and dad, that the view changes from him to his dad's group. And to the producer who came at last to save the day. But no, its all from one point of view. the whole adventure was about peter, and then he'd meet back with his friends, and his friends would tell him their story in about a page or so. Then for the final blow, Greg Bear put a "What's real , and What's not" section in the end of the book. While it is being truthful to his readers, but it confirmed my suspicions while I was reading the book. Many , almost all the dino's was made up. I like made up things, I read science fictions a lot. Only when I prefer to have it made up. When I took a book about some dinosaur story, thats exactly what I wanted....a story of dinosaur. And there are more than enough dinosaurs to fill up a whole book for predators and all, and yet he had to made up his own. This disappoints me. I think Lost world's dinosaurs was real. Or was it? Now that I read Greg Bear's book, I got a little doubt.
Rating: 
Summary: One of Greb Bear's worst books
Review: This book is one of Greg Bear's worst. You could rip the pages of the first half of the book out and you would not miss a thing.There is virtually no interesting action until 3/4 of the way through the book. All through the read I kept thinking this book is nothing more than an idea for a screenplay. I think Greg didn't spend much time on it, figuring he'd get it made into a movie and he'd have to rewrite it anyway. Even the dinoaction at the end is weak. It will leave you completely unstatisfied. Especially if you like Greg's other works as much as I do. Get this book from the library if you must read it. There won't be any wait for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Grand old fashioned rollicking good time adventure!
Review: This book picks you right up, puts you on its shoulders and strides strongly forth for a REAL adventure. Scenes of wonder captivate from the start and the unique array of dinosaurs quickly found a place in my heart. The real-life characters are as fine and fascinating a mix as I've ever come across. How I wanted to go along for the trip! And of course I did, through the eyes of young Peter, gasping and cheering as he surely must have on the road to El Grande; fascinated and terrified as he must have been on the plateau itself. Since finishing this book I have been filled with dreams of the lush and exotic plateau, as well as with a deep longing to return to its dangerous depths. A great read!
Rating:
Summary: Slow to start, never got going
Review: This book reads like either, A) an early effort written before a good author learns pacing and plot development, or B) a movie or television treatment flushed out to book length. We know the answer isn't A, since this book was published, and presumably written, years after Bear wrote memorable series like Eon and Forge of God. If the answer is B, well then, it's going to be a pretty darn slow moving movie. Bear gets points for showing us interesting dinosaur behavior and for incorporating real people and famous fictional characters into the story line. But the story never takes off and soars. Rating: If you are a dinosaur fiction nut: 3 stars
If not, 2 stars.
If you are looking for more quality fiction from the author of Eon and Forge of God, keep looking.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This is an exciting lost world dinosaurs story. It really seems pitched at young readers rather than adults, and not only due to its teenage hero. It is not particularly uuplifting fare for kids, however, as there are many nasty people here, many disappointments, and nothing much profound to pique a grownup's interest. The adventures are rather fantastical, yet there is nothing of ethereal fantasy in this gritty story by an author who is usually among the better SF authors. If you DO like this, note that Time Warner has once again printed a book on excreble paper. I bought the first pb issue and two years later the pages are already yellowed. Does no one save their favorite books anymore, or to read to the grandkids someday, or is TW simply contemptuous of its customers?
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